Motichoor Laddoo /Motichur Laddu

 

             "Motichoor Laddoo/ Motichur Ladoo" is a popular round shaped traditional  Indian sweet  that is mainly prepared during festive season like Holi, Diwali, Navratri etc and is also offered as "Prasad" in certain temples. This melt - in mouth delicacy is prepared  from tiny balls of besan flour/ chickpea flour and  the name "Laddoo" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ladduka" which means a sweet. The word "Moti" in Hindi means "pearls" and "choor" means "crushed". So the word "Motichoor" literally translates to "Crushed pearls". Besan flour is made to a paste using water and deep fried in ghee / oil through a perforated spatula  and drained as tiny pearl shaped circles called boondhis. These boondhis  are then soaked in sugar syrup and moulded to small round shaped laddoos.

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Cheers,

Asha

Ingredients

1. Besan Flour/Chickpea Flour - 1 cup
2. Orange/Yellow food color - 2 drops
3. Sugar-  3/4 cup or little less
4. Water -a little less than  3/4 cup + 1 cup 
5. Baking soda- 1 small pinch
6. Salt - a small pinch
7. Clove - 1
8. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Oil - for frying (nearly 3 cups)
10. Ghee - 2 tbsp+1tbsp
11. Nuts - 2 tbsp (chopped- cashews, almonds)

Method

1. Sieve the besan flour, salt and baking soda well for 2 times.
2. Add 3/4th cup of water and make a smooth paste of running consistency.
3. Add 1 drop of food color and mix well.
4. Heat a kadai and add oil to 3/4th.
5. In the hot oil, pour the besan paste for boondhi through a small holed perforated spatula and fry the boondis. Drain and keep aside (Care should be taken not to fry too long which makes laddoo harder).
6. Crush the fried boondhis in a mixer for 2-3 pulses.
7. Meanwhile in a pan heat 1 cup water with 3/4 cup  sugar along with 1 clove and cardamom powder. Once it thickens well and reaches a drop like dripping consistency .
8. Now add the crushed boondhis and mix well till the sugar syrup is incorporated well in the boondhis.
9. In another pan add 2tbsp ghee and fry cashew pieces till golden. Pour over sugar soaked boondhis and mix well.
10. Add  1tbsp ghee and mix well. Allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes.
11. Now grease your palm and take desired amount of mixture and roll to laddoos.

Notes

• If you have a small perforated spatula you don't need to crush the boondhis.
• The besan batter should be of dripping consistency, neither too thick nor too thin to get perfectly round boondhis and care should be taken for not having any lumps.
• Adding the color is your personal choice. you can add yellow or orange.
• You can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar if you prefer the laddoos to be more or less sweet.
• This dessert can be store well for 4 days in room temeperature.